Patents by Inventor Stephen R. Forrest

Stephen R. Forrest has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150179968
    Abstract: An ordered multilayer crystalline organic thin film structure is formed by depositing at least two layers of thin film crystalline organic materials successively wherein the at least two thin film layers are selected to have their surface energies within ±50% of each other, and preferably within ±15% of each other, whereby every thin film layer within the multilayer crystalline organic thin film structure exhibit a quasi-epitaxial relationship with the adjacent crystalline organic thin film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. FORREST, Richard R. LUNT
  • Patent number: 9062368
    Abstract: A method for in-situ monitoring of gas-phase photoactive organic molecules in real time while depositing a film of the photoactive organic molecules on a substrate in a processing chamber for depositing the film includes irradiating the gas-phase photoactive organic molecules in the processing chamber with a radiation from a radiation source in-situ while depositing the film of the one or more organic materials and measuring the intensity of the resulting photoluminescence emission from the organic material. One or more processing parameters associated with the deposition process can be determined from the photoluminescence intensity data in real time providing useful feedback on the deposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Garen Vartanian, Cedric Rolin
  • Publication number: 20150171359
    Abstract: This disclosure relates, at least in part, an organic light emitting device, which in some embodiments comprises an anode; a cathode; a first emissive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, the first emissive layer comprising an electron transporting compound and a phosphorescent emissive dopant compound; and wherein the phosphorescent emissive dopant compound has a concentration gradient, in the emissive layer, which varies from the cathode side of the first emissive layer to the anode side of the emissive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Yifan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150170970
    Abstract: There is disclosed a thin film device for epitaxial lift off comprising a handle and one or more straining layers disposed on the handle, wherein the one or more straining layers induce a curvature of the handle. There is also disclosed a method of fabricating a thin film device for epitaxial lift off comprising, depositing one or more straining layers on a handle, wherein the one or more straining layers induce at least one strain on the handle chosen from tensile strain, compressive strain and near-neutral strain. There is also disclosed a method for epitaxial lift off comprising, depositing an epilayer over a sacrificial layer disposed on a growth substrate; depositing one or more straining layers on at least one of the growth substrate and a handle; bonding the handle to the growth substrate; and etching the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Kyusang Lee, Jeramy Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9054335
    Abstract: A first device is provided. The first device includes an organic light emitting device, which further comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic emissive layer disposed between the first and second electrode. Preferably, the second electrode is more transparent than the first electrode. The organic emissive layer has a first portion shaped to form an indentation in the direction of the first electrode, and a second portion shaped to form a protrusion in the direction of the second electrode. The first device may include a plurality of organic light emitting devices. The indentation may have a shape that is formed from a partial sphere, a partial cylinder, a pyramid, or a pyramid with a mesa, among others. The protrusions may be formed between adjoining indentations or between an indentation and a surface parallel to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Michael Slootsky, Richard Lunt
  • Publication number: 20150144928
    Abstract: Light-emitting devices are provided that include a mixed-index layer having a buried grid disposed below a bottom electrode of the device. The grid provides improved outcoupling into glass and air modes relative to techniques that omit such a grid and/or that use a conventional low-index grid embedded in the emissive layers of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. FORREST, Michael SLOOTSKY, Yue QU
  • Publication number: 20150140214
    Abstract: A first device is provided. The device includes a print head. The print head further includes a first nozzle hermetically sealed to a first source of gas. The first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle. At a distance from the aperture into the first nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Gregory McGraw
  • Patent number: 9029837
    Abstract: Coordinating additives are included in porphyrinoid-based materials to promote intermolecular organization and improve one or more photoelectric characteristics of the materials. The coordinating additives are selected from fullerene compounds and organic compounds having free electron pairs. Combinations of different coordinating additives can be used to tailor the characteristic properties of such porphyrinoid-based materials, including porphyrin oligomers. Bidentate ligands are one type of coordinating additive that can form coordination bonds with a central metal ion of two different porphyrinoid compounds to promote porphyrinoid alignment and/or pi-stacking. The coordinating additives can shift the absorption spectrum of a photoactive material toward higher wavelengths, increase the external quantum efficiency of the material, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Jeramy Zimmerman, Eric K. Yu, Mark E. Thompson, Cong Trinh, Matthew Whited, Vlacheslav Diev
  • Patent number: 9017826
    Abstract: Porphyrin compounds are provided. The compounds may further comprise a fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or a fused heterocyclic aromatic. Fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon s and fused heterocyclic aromatics may extend and broaden absorption, and modify the solubility, crystallinity, and film-forming properties of the porphyrin compounds. Additionally, devices comprising porphyrin compounds are also provided. The porphyrin compounds may be used in a donor/acceptor configuration with compounds, such as C60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: The University of Southern California, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Jeramy D. Zimmerman, Mark E. Thompson, Viacheslav Diev, Kenneth Hanson
  • Publication number: 20150090973
    Abstract: Novel combination of materials and device architectures for organic light emitting devices is provided. An organic light emitting device, is provided, having an anode, a cathode, and an emissive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The emissive layer includes a host and a phosphorescent emissive dopant having a peak emissive wavelength less than 500 nm, and a radiative phosphorescent lifetime less than 1 microsecond. Preferably, the phosphorescent emissive dopant includes a ligand having a carbazole group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Mark Thompson, Noel Giebink
  • Publication number: 20150090775
    Abstract: A solder joint may be used to attach components of an organic vapor jet printing device together with a fluid-tight seal that is capable of performance at high temperatures. The solder joint includes one or more metals that are deposited over opposing component surfaces, such as an inlet side of a nozzle plate and/or an outlet side of a mounting plate. The components are pressed together to form the solder joint. Two or more of the deposited metals may be capable of together forming a eutectic alloy, and the solder joint may be formed by heating the deposited metals to a temperature above the melting point of the eutectic alloy. A diffusion barrier layer and an adhesion layer may be included between the solder joint and each of the components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Gregory McGraw
  • Patent number: 8993881
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an organic photovoltaic cell includes providing a first electrode; depositing a series of at least seven layers onto the first electrode, each layer consisting essentially of a different organic semiconductor material, the organic semiconductor material of at least an intermediate layer of the sequence being a photoconductive material; and depositing a second electrode onto the sequence of at least seven layers. One of the first electrode and the second electrode is an anode and the other is a cathode. The organic semiconductor materials of the series of at least seven layers are arranged to provide a sequence of decreasing lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) and a sequence of decreasing highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) across the series from the anode to the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: The Trustees of Princeton University, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Barry Rand, Stephen R. Forrest, Diane Pendergrast Burk
  • Patent number: 8987589
    Abstract: An organic photovoltaic cell includes an anode and a cathode, and a plurality of organic semiconductor layers between the anode and the cathode. At least one of the anode and the cathode is transparent. Each two adjacent layers of the plurality of organic semiconductor layers are in direct contact. The plurality of organic semiconductor layers includes an intermediate layer consisting essentially of a photoconductive material, and two sets of at least three layers. A first set of at least three layers is between the intermediate layer and the anode. Each layer of the first set consists essentially of a different organic semiconductor material having a higher LUMO and a higher HOMO, relative to the material of an adjacent layer of the plurality of organic semiconductor layers closer to the cathode. A second set of at least three layers is between the intermediate layer and the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of Michigan, The Trustees of Princeton University
    Inventors: Barry Rand, Stephen R. Forrest, Diana Pendergrast Burk
  • Publication number: 20150064837
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a tandem organic photosensitive device involves depositing a first layer of an organic electron donor type material film by solution-processing of the organic electron donor type material dissolved in a first solvent; depositing a first layer of an organic electron acceptor type material over the first layer of the organic electron donor type material film by a dry deposition process; depositing a conductive layer over the interim stack by a dry deposition process; depositing a second layer of the organic electron donor type material over the conductive layer by solution-processing of the organic electron donor type material dissolved in a second solvent, wherein the organic electron acceptor type material and the conductive layer are insoluble in the second solvent; depositing a second layer of an organic electron acceptor type material over the second layer of the organic electron donor type material film by a dry deposition process, resulting in a stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen R. FORREST, Brian E. LASSITER, Jeramy D. ZIMMERMAN
  • Publication number: 20150048314
    Abstract: Coordinating additives are included in porphyrinoid-based materials to promote intermolecular organization and improve one or more photoelectric characteristics of the materials. The coordinating additives are selected from fullerene compounds and organic compounds having free electron pairs. Combinations of different coordinating additives can be used to tailor the characteristic properties of such porphyrinoid-based materials, including porphyrin oligomers. Bidentate ligands are one type of coordinating additive that can form coordination bonds with a central metal ion of two different porphyrinoid compounds to promote porphyrinoid alignment and/or pi-stacking. The coordinating additives can shift the absorption spectrum of a photoactive material toward higher wavelengths, increase the external quantum efficiency of the material, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Jeramy Zimmerman, Eric K. Yu, Mark E. Thompson, Cong Trinh, Matthew Whited, Viacheslav Diev
  • Patent number: 8944309
    Abstract: A solder joint may be used to attach components of an organic vapor jet printing device together with a fluid-tight seal that is capable of performance at high temperatures. The solder joint includes one or more metals that are deposited over opposing component surfaces, such as an inlet side of a nozzle plate and/or an outlet side of a mounting plate. The components are pressed together to form the solder joint. Two or more of the deposited metals may be capable of together forming a eutectic alloy, and the solder joint may be formed by heating the deposited metals to a temperature above the melting point of the eutectic alloy. A diffusion barrier layer and an adhesion layer may be included between the solder joint and each of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Gregory McGraw
  • Patent number: 8931431
    Abstract: A first device is provided. The device includes a print head. The print head further includes a first nozzle hermetically sealed to a first source of gas. The first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle. At a distance from the aperture into the first nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Gregory McGraw
  • Patent number: 8933436
    Abstract: An ordered multilayer crystalline organic thin film structure is formed by depositing at least two layers of thin film crystalline organic materials successively wherein the at least two thin film layers are selected to have their surface energies within ±50% of each other, and preferably within ±15% of each other, whereby every thin film layer within the multilayer crystalline organic thin film structure exhibit a quasi-epitaxial relationship with the adjacent crystalline organic thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Richard R. Lunt
  • Patent number: 8927319
    Abstract: There is disclosed methods of making photosensitive devices, such as flexible photovoltaic (PV) devices, through the use of epitaxial liftoff. Also described herein are methods of preparing flexible PV devices comprising a structure having a growth substrate, wherein the selective etching of protective layers yields a smooth growth substrate that us suitable for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Jeramy Zimmerman, Kyusang Lee, Kuen-Ting Shiu
  • Patent number: 8922113
    Abstract: An OLED device includes an OLED structure having a curved shape and/or a concave surface. The OLED structure may function both as light source and as a reflector configured to concentrate light produced by the structure. An OLED may be formed in the shape of a reflector so that light is provided at the concave surface and so that light is reflected from the concave surface at the same location along the surface. The OLED structure can include a flexible substrate formed to shape, along with an organic layer and electrode layers coated over a substrate surface either before or after the substrate is formed. The OLED structure may also include a microcavity OLED, a grating layer, and/or one or more optical elements that alter the characteristics of the light emitted at an aperture of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Michael Slootsky